Trial in North Liberty police chase case expected to take 3 days
Lang
3/24/19
Trial for a North Liberty man accused of leading police on a high-speed chase is expected to last three days.
That’s according to Judge Paul Miller during a Friday pre-trial conference for 30-year-old Steven Myers, Jr. of the Golfview manufactured housing community.
Police say they attempted to conduct a traffic stop of Myers’ vehicle at Highway 965 and Hawkeye Drive – the entrance to Golfview – about 11 p.m. on March 18th, 2018. But when the officer activated his lights and siren, Myers allegedly took off at a high rate of speed, with the chase reaching speeds of 115 miles per hour on 55 mile-per-hour roads.
Myers is also accused of intentionally driving at one officer who was laying down stop sticks on Highway 6 near Kent Park. He swerved at the last moment and narrowly avoided hitting that officer and his vehicle but is accused of intentionally causing a later crash on Ivy Avenue when he suddenly slammed on his brakes, causing a pursuing police vehicle to rear-end his Pontiac Sunfire.
Myers then took off again and police called off the chase. Police say the patrol car suffered approximately $8200 in damage.
After police identified Myers as a suspect, they conducted a search of his vehicle, saying they found a baggie containing methamphetamine inside.
Myers is charged with Felonious Eluding, 2nd Degree Criminal Mischief, Assault on Persons in Certain Occupations While Using a Weapon, 1st Offense Possession of a Controlled Substance, and numerous traffic violations. If convicted on all charges, he faces more than 16 years in prison.
A case management conference is set for April 12th. Trial is set for April 23rd.
